Star Wars - A New Era
by blackanakin313
Summary: The Empire has been brought to its knees at Endor. Celebrations spread across the galaxy like a ripple in a pond. Of course, the war is not yet over. And the Republic is not yet restored. A key step in that process will be the rebirth of the Jedi Order...hopefully Hmmm..suck at summaries, I do. Read on, you should. Your own opinion, form, you must.


**Author's Note**  
So…this will be my biggest under-taking as far as stories go. I plan on eventually having a 4-episode series for this tale, each one varying in length and number of chapters. I warn thee immediately: my life is hectic, and updates will be paced. I welcome constructive criticism, questions, reviews, and comments of the 'I see what you did there' nature. I sorta started this story more than a decade ago, and recently unearthed the floppy disk….yes…floppy disk…and have been trying to touch it up. I had my moments where my writing reflected my youth, and cleaning this up, updating the events to 'match' history, adding, etc…has been quite a ride. If you dislike the whole 'Earth in the Star Wars universe' thing, I sadly inform you this is one of those. If you dig that type of thing, awesome! And yes…I do use myself and my adopted brothers as the main characters, and some actual family members, all with their permission and encouragement. I'm sure you won't hold it against me once you get to know everyone, us being so loveable and all. This particular story tries vainly to stick with what was once the canon Expanded Universe. The impending new movies probably won't play a part in later stories in this series.  
So…let's go ahead and jump into it, shall we? And may the Force be with us.  
AVANTI!

*Author's Disclaimer*  
Credit George Lucas for creating this universe which I fully intend to frolic in while barely maintain a sense of decorum about it. Credit Tolkein, Lewis, Lee, and Rowling, among others, for helping mold my imagination. So if you see something you recognize…it's either within Lucas' movies, the old Expanded Universe, or influenced by some other book or movie.

 ** _Star Wars: New Era_**

 ** _Extended Prologue_**

**December 31st, 2012 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Of America, Earth**

 **Snow fell gently in the streets of Philadelphia that early morning. The pediatric wing of the local hospital was celebrating New Year's Eve, with some very special guests. Several star players from the Philadelphia Eagles were on hand, signing autographs and taking pictures with the children and their excited parents. Pro Bowl cornerback Jabari Chatman sat with a young hit-and-run victim, playing Simon Says, and thoroughly enjoying the child's smile. A few states away, his twin brother Che was in the brothers' home-town of Detroit, visiting family. There he sat, having breakfast with his girlfriend Renee and her daughter Nia, who was aching to go out and enjoy snow for the first time, as Che and Renee had met while attending college at the University of Miami. Further south, in Florida, Che's frat brothers Chris Norfolk and Jon Price were at the beach with their wives, Melissa and Jennifer. Their other frat brothers Jose Denis and Jon Harrity were with their respective families a few miles away. It was a typical New Year's Eve for all of them. But at 11 am, all their phones rang...the automated message ordered all planetary defense volunteer forces to report to the nearest jump-site.  
Jabari looked at Micheal Vick and laughed, "Probably another drill to see which volunteers will drop everything and respond on a holiday." Vick gave him a fist bump and nod, as DeSean Jackson said cheerfully, posing with a young Eagles fan, "Bring us somethin nice back from VA, star." In Florida, Jon and Chris felt the same way...it had to be another drill. They left Jennifer and Melissa at the beach with Jon's dad, known as Big Jon, and the Price family dog, Leo. They sped off, grumbling, as Leo howled at their departing car. Jose apologized to his family and bowed out, saying he'd be back within a few hours. He, too, figured they would just be taking note of who showed up to the rendezvous points and dismiss them, as they'd done on a few occasions since the moon battle. Harrity went so far as to make a sarcastic post on his Facebook page as he headed to the planetary shuttle-port. The only one who wasn't so nonchalant about the summons was Che. He kissed Renee and hugged his step-daughter tightly, a feeling of dread slowly building in him. Then he left, taking a cab to the nearest shuttle-port.  
Within the hour, they were all on shuttles to the Mavy base in Norfolk, Virginia. They changed en route: from Eagles warmups, beach clothes, and street clothes to camo gear. Jabari arrived first, followed by Che, then the four friends coming from Florida. The planetary shuttles made the short trip way faster than commercial airliners, a difference that Che moodily noted. Technology was so much different the last decade.  
Being way out in the Outer Rim of known space, the farthest known planet from Coruscant and the Core Worlds, it wasn't until the Earth's year 2001 that the rest of the galaxy finally reached them. Imperial exploration gave way to Imperial envoys, which soon gave way to Imperial muscle. This, needless to say, didn't sit well with the people of Earth, naturally rebellious, immensely belligerent, and stubborn to the tee. As such, humans from Earth began filling the ranks of the Rebellion. Considerably fewer joined the Empire. Countless others became among the best smugglers and bounty hunters in the galaxy. But the primary anti-Empire sentiments remained. So much so, that no one on Earth was surprised when Imperial warships began cruising around their Milky Way system in a show of force. When Earth still could not be cowed into submission, the Empire sent a small task force.  
With rapid technological advances, helped by being exposed to the rest of the galaxy, the Earth had established a moon-base. The installation was partially a military outpost, but also served as Earth's primary de-facto space-port. Visiting ships had to dock there first and receive clearance before continuing to the planet, or the travelers on the ships were shuttled planet-side. This was the Imperial target. The attack was expected. A defense fleet was moved to the moon in anticipation of an assault, one that came two weeks after their mobilization. Intel was such that Earth's defenses were already scrambling as the tiny Imperial fleet arrived. The marauders managed to destroy a few civilian craft fleeing the area before battle was joined. A decisive and swift rout of the small Imperial force led to The Emperor declaring Earth a hostile world that needed to be dealt with.  
Che and Jabari Chatman, 26 year-old twins, were slightly shorter than the average man. Che stood at 5'6, Jabari at 5'7, though Che was older by a few minutes. Their size was no issue: both possessed top-flight speed and athleticism and the fire within to use their gifts accordingly…Che for a brief stint as a pro basketball player while his brother was a rapidly rising star in the NFL. They had dark brown skin, their father being African-American and their mother being Haitian. Descended on their mother's side from Haitian revolutionary hero Toussaint L'Ouverture, and African royalty further back, they shared the same proud face, with eyes that were alternately deep brown pools or dark fires. They also had a tendency, as twins, to know what the other was thinking. Che was the more quiet, thoughtful one. Jabari was known for his hot temper as well as his ability to be the life of the party. Jon and Chris, might as well have been brothers. Both 28 years old, they had been friends since their pre-teen years and now 6'5 and 6'4, respectively. Jon looked like someone who spent most of his time on a surfboard in California, while Chris' Irish roots showed themselves in his complexion and drinking abiliy. Jon was the natural leader of the group, while Chris sort of co-captained them with a healthy dose of sarcasm and wit. Jonathan Harrity was age 24, 6'3 and mostly muscle, known as the enforcer of the group for his no-nonsense attitude when dealing with trouble-makers while the friends were out in public. His Irish heritage was not as pronounced in his appearance as Chris', but he had a healthy love of green shirs. Jose Denis stood at 6 foot exactly. A 26-year old Cuban-American, a few months older than the twins, he was perhaps the most technologically savvy member of the crew. He and Che had a natural, friendly rivalry that tended to range from verbal barbs to the occasional fisticuffs before they had a couple beers and moved on til the next ruckus.  
Che, Jon, Chris, Jose, and Jonathan, usually called Harrity, were an inseparable bunch, forming a fraternity in their high school days, known as The NKAA. They never told anyone what it stood for, and only laughed when they were asked. Jabari was not part of that group, but as Che's brother, was an adopted member, and the six of them had signed up for volunteer military service at the same time. They received what could be politely termed as a crash-course in Marine training. But when the call came, among them, only Jabari was drafted into active duty during the Imperial attack crisis. Dropping his NFL career midseason, he had rushed into service. He had flown a fighter, and earned commendation for his actions.  
Now, the NKAA couldn't help but look to him a bit, due to his familiarity with active duty. But all he knew to do was head to the parade grounds and await instruction, and they followed. The mood was one of grumbling discontent, but there was a general sense of apprehension. One that started to build when no superior officers came out for a roll call. An announcement came on the loudspeakers and advised them to proceed to the recreational area for a few more minutes. All told, 90 Marine reserves were present, milling around anxiously on the small playing fields and basketball courts.  
The NKAA and Jabari were sitting, watching a pick-up basketball game, when Jabari suddenly leaped to his feet and briskly set off towards a young servicewoman, seated alone and apart from the rest. Chris followed his trajectory then smiled. "Get her, son!" "I've always wanted to actually WATCH an NFL player try to holler at a female," said Harrity. Che watched with a bemused look, knowing his brother was just as shy as him. But the rest of the NKAA watched, anticipating seeing a pick-up artist in action. Instead, the caramel-skinned woman stared up at him with beautiful green eyes, then stood and embraced him in a bear-hug. This was the first time the NKAA ever saw Jasmine Smith, and they watched from a distance, though they couldn't hear the conversation.  
Jabari said, "You weren't on the Philly shuttle. I didn't expect to see you here." She smiled and sat back down, replying, "I've been here since last night. I was summoned by Orbital Defense Command." Jabari sat down next to her, concern on his features. "Why, Jazz? What happened?" Jasmine looked at him hesitantly. "We received credible intel from Rebel spies. Ambassador Clinton's mission to Imperial Center on Coruscant seems to have gone horribly wrong. The Imperial Senate..." A radio crackled on her hip, the message distorted. "..One..range..I repeat..Air..in range. ETA, 3 minutes. All officers, assemble." Jasmine's hand shook as she turned down the volume. "What's in range?" Jabari asked. The woman didn't answer immediately. She softly touched his face, then laid a gentle kiss on his cheek. "There's some things I've always wanted to ask you. But we'd end up goofing off, getting into snowball fights, playing video games..well, I played, YOU lost...but I really should have asked. What makes a football star take a risk..walk away from the game..learn to fly a star fighter...fend off an invasion..come home like nothing happened..show back up in Philadelphia midseason..goes back to making the Eagles soar on Sundays? A Super Bowl champion, tries to save the world, while being an amazing friend to boot."  
She fingered the cross on his neck..she wore a matching one. "We never really got the chance to..." A low, subtle rumble made them look up. Two fighter jets soared in, escorting a large ship. Jabari realized it was a gunship, one of the Corellian corvettes donated by the Rebels before Earth's lunar skirmish with the Imperial force. He looked back to Jasmine, who was staring at the ship like someone staring at their own doom. The loudspeakers blared: "Marine Corps reserve units, please report to mess-hall for group briefing."  
"Jazz...what's going on?" Jabari asked slowly. After a moment, her expression hardened and she looked at him. "It's time to go," she said sternly. She pulled an iPhone out of her jacket pocket. Pulling up a dossier, she scanned it, then said, "I believe you and your brother, and your four friends, need to report to Colonel Green before you join the assembly. Now, please." She handed him the phone so he could read what it said, then took it back. She rose, kissed him on the forehead, turned and walked away.  
Jabari sat, frozen, startled by her behavior and alarmed at what he'd read. But he stood and looked at for his brother amongst the crowd. The NKAA was walking towards the mess-hall. Jabari caught Che's eye and jerked his head. Che reached out and stopped his frat brothers, pointing. The six headed to the colonel's office, the NKAA asking questions and Jabari saying only that he wasn't sure what was going on. He'd seen their names on the dossier Jasmine had shown him, but he didn't know what they were being summoned for. "This better not be about the banana in the tail-pipe," Harrity said as they entered the command barracks. Images of a prank they played during their training sprung to their minds. Their loud laughter announced them, and Colonel Green looked up as they knocked and entered. The young men fell silent at the mood in the office.  
Jasmine and three others were already there in front of the colonel, with drawn expressions on their faces. Their superior stared at them, then tossed six dog tags to them. "You're activated, reserves. Commissioned to serve as fighter pilots. Again, in Mr. Chatman's case. Captain Jabari Chatman, as it were. We don't have time for all the niceties and ceremony." He looked down at a file in front of him. "Due to test results and observations by your training instructors, as well as an obvious personal preference, you will all be flying together in the same unit. You got the six highest test ratings of any reserve pilots to be trained in starfighters. Actually, you six..." He double-checked, then nodded, impressed. "You six have the highest test scores amongst space-fighter-pilots in the United States Marine Corps, period. I call that enough for me, considering the only one of you to get called up performed admirably before. So...Lieutenants Price, Norfolk, Harrity, Denis, C. Chatman, flying with Captain J. Chatman as lead."  
The tension that had built up in them all morning finally manifested itself as it normally did when this group of friends got flustered or nervous. In the form of Chris saying, "Jabari? But he's almost the youngest! And he's in command? You're an Eagles fan, aren't you, sir?" The NKAA burst into chuckles, and Jabari tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a nervous laugh. Colonel Green fixed them with such a stern glare that they quickly clammed up. Then he quietly said, "No. I'm a Giants fan. That's why he's in charge. Anything goes wrong, I get to court-martial the best player on the team I hate and drop him in a deep, dark cell somewhere, never to see the light of day again." They had never heard the commanding officer make a joke before, and he said it with such a straight face that Jabari's smile vanished and the young man gazed at his superior uncertainly.  
"Burn," said Jon after a moment. The entire office broke out into the kind of laughter that comes from people who desperately need something to laugh at. After a few moments, the chuckling colonel raised his hand and the briefing resumed when they had all settled down.  
"You six are designated Wolf Wing, of Predator Squadron, under the command of squadron leader Commander Scott here." An older man, already in a flight suit, nodded at them."Within that squadron, you are joined by Hyena, Tarantula, Piranha, Viper, Orca, Jaguar, and Hawk Wings. Still finalizing battle plans, but you six of Wolf Wing have been specially requested. You're on defense, and you will be escorting a gunship, the 'Defiant', under the command of Captain Jones here, and his officers, Major Smith and the good seargant here." The five NKAA members didn't respond, but an odd noise escaped Jabari's mouth. He looked at Jasmine, who was looking everywhere but at him. Commander Scott, the fighter officer, looked from one to the other but didn't speak. "Congratulations," said Colonel Green."Take that volunteer, reserve, training, blah, blah, whatever label off. You are hereby active duty. Make me proud, Marines. Dismissed."  
The 6 men digested this information, minds reeling, but outwardly saluted their commanding officer and the battleship officers, then stepped out. The captain saluted back. The sarge was skimming a read-out and didn't notice the gesture. Commander Scott nodded at them all, eyes on the young Captain. Jasmine had looked around indifferently most of the time, but as Jabari turned to close the door and took one glance back, their eyes met. Then she was speaking to the captain and commander, and Jabari closed the door.  
They crossed the base to the mess-hall wordlessly, until Chris said, "Did anyone else actually hear him say, 'Guys, the Empire is coming with a couple ships again', or anything that lets us know specifically what's going on?" There was another low rumble, but this one was from a regular, Earth-made aircraft. They gaped at the huge jet that came in low, then vanished on the runway that was hidden by other buildings and trees. "That can't have been..." began Jose. The loudspeakers interrupted, and even the man behind the microphone sounded in awe: "'Air Force One' is on the ground. Commander-In-Chief is present at base."  
"Obama?" Che barely whispered. They all exchanged looks and hurried to the messhall. There the six men found their fellow soldiers, gathered around a holographic projector set up in the middle of the room. They found spots and sat down near the front row of the circle, just as the doors opened again. There was a murmur of disbelief and a brief moment's startled hesitation, before all the men and women hastily rose and saluted as President Barack Obama entered the building without announcement or fanfare.  
The President paused, as if to gather himself, then shook a few hands and patted some shoulders as he made his way to the holo projector. He slowed a bit near Jabari and frowned, in a teasing, friendly manner. Jabari's mouth hung slightly open in shock but he managed to salute the Commander-In-Chief. Obama shook his hand, congratulating the younger man,"Helluva show against New York, son. Glad you didn't do that to my Bears!" Jabari's usual bravado was nowhere to be found as he simply mumbled, "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." "Hopefully we get you in the play-offs," Obama responded conversationally, though he didn't sound hopeful. He continued towards his podium, followed by a sparse contingent of Secret Service agents and the base's commanding officers. He had on a jacket against the cold, but was casually dressed and looked like a man in need of sleep. He stood for a moment, looking at them, then cleared his throat. "Please be seated, my friends."**


End file.
